Geranium plant named ‘Kleroder’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of Ivy Geranium plant named ‘Kleroder’, characterized by its uniform, compact and cascading growth habit; dark green-colored leaves with faint zonation pattern; and red-colored double flowers.

BOTANICAL CLASSIFICATION/CULTIVAR DESIGNATION

Pelargonium peltatum cultivar Kleroder.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of IvyGeranium plant, botanically known as Pelargonium peltatum, andhereinafter referred to by the name ‘Kleroder’.

The new Ivy Geranium is a product of a planned breeding programconducted by the Inventor in Stuttgart, Germany. The objective of thebreeding program was to develop new Ivy Geraniums with uniform andcompact growth habit, and interesting flower and foliage colors.

The new Ivy Geranium originated from a cross made by the Inventor inMay, 1994 of the Pelargonium peltatum cultivar Wico, not patented, asthe female, or seed, parent with the Pelargonium peltatum cultivarFelix, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The cultivarKleroder was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a floweringplant within the progeny from this cross in a controlled environment inStuttgart, Germany, in June, 1995.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by terminal cuttings taken atStuttgart, Germany, since June, 1995, has shown that the unique featuresof this new Ivy Geranium are stable and reproduced true to type insuccessive generations of asexual reproduction.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘Kleroder’. These characteristics incombination distinguish ‘Kleroder’ as a new cultivar and distinguish itfrom other known Ivy Geranium cultivars:

1. Uniform, compact and cascading growth habit.

2. Dark green-colored leaves with faint zonation pattern.

3. Red-colored double flowers.

Plants of the new Ivy Geranium differ primarily from plants of thefemale parent, the cultivar Wico, in flower color as plants of thecultivar Wico have pink-colored flowers. In addition, in side-by-sidecomparisons conducted in Stuttgart, Germany, plants of the new IvyGeranium are larger than plants of the cultivar Wico.

Plants of the new Ivy Geranium differ primarily from plants of the maleparent, the cultivar Felix, in flower color as plants of the cultivarFelix have dark red-colored flowers. In addition, in side-by-sidecomparisons conducted in Stuttgart, Germany, plants of the new IvyGeranium are more compact and have smaller flowers than plants of thecultivar Felix.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying colored photograph illustrates the overall appearanceof the new cultivar, showing the colors as true as it is reasonablypossible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type.

The photograph comprises a top perspective view of four typicalflowering plants of ‘Kleroder’ that were grown for about three months ina hanging basket container. Flower and foliage colors in the photographmay differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailedbotanical description which accurately describe the colors of the newIvy Geranium.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The cultivar Kleroder has not been observed under all possibleenvironmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat withvariations in environment, such as temperature and light intensity,without, however, any variance in genotype. The following observations,measurements and comparisons describe plants that were planted inJanuary in 12-cm pots in Stuttgart, Germany, pinched one time about twoweeks later, and grown for about three months under commerical practicein a glass-covered greenhouse with day temperatures about 18 to 22° C.,night temperatures about 15 to 18° C. and light levels about 20,000 to50,000 lux. In the following descripton, color references are made toThe Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart except where general termsof ordinary dictionary significance are used.

Botanical classification: Pelargonium peltatum cultivar Kleroder.

Parentage:

Female parent.—Pelargonium peltatum cultivar Wico, not patented.

Male parent.—Pelargonium peltatum cultivar Felix, not patented.

Propagation:

Type cutting.—Terminal cuttings.

Time to initiate roots.—Summer: About 9 days at 22° C. Winter: About 11days at 20° C.

Time to develop roots.—Summer: About 18 days at 22° C. Winter: About 20days at 20° C.

Root description.—Fibrous, freely branching, and white in color.

Plant description:

General appearance.—Initially upright, then cascading growth habit;uniform and relatively compact; densely foliated.

Crop time.—About three months are required to produced a finishedflowering plant in 12-cm container.

Growth and branching habit.—Moderately vigorous and freely basalbranching; about four to five lateral branches develop after pinching,that is, removal of terminal apices.

Plant height (to top of flower umbels).—About 26 cm.

Plant height (to top of foliar plane).—About 22 cm.

Plant width.—About 23 cm.

Lateral branches.—Length: About 7 cm. Internode length: About 1.5 to 2cm. Texture: Slightly pubescent. Color: 138B.

Foliage description.—Leaves simple, generally symmetrical, alternatearrangement. Quantity of leaves per lateral branch: About 5 to 7.Length, mature leaves: About 4.5 cm. Width, mature leaves: About 6.5 cm.Shape: Reniform with lobing, ivy shaped. Apex: Acute. Base: Lobed,overlapping. Margin: Entire. Venation pattern: Palmate. Texture: Uppersurface: Slightly pubescent, rough. Lower surface: Glabrous, rough.Color: Young foliage, upper surface: 138B; zonation pattern, 177B incolor. Young foliage, lower surface: 138B. Mature foliage, uppersurface: 139A; zonation pattern, 147A in color, located about 1 to 2 cmfrom the margin, and about 5 mm in width. Mature foliage, lower surface:139C. Venation, upper surface: 138B. Venation, lower surface: 138C.Petiole: Length: About 5 cm. Diameter: About 2 mm. Texture, bothsurfaces: Smooth. Color, both surfaces: 138B.

Flower description:

Flower arrangement and type.—Red-colored flowers arranged inhemispherical umbels arising from apical leaf axils. Umbels displayedabove the foliage. Freely flowering; at full flowering about 4 to 6 openumbels and about 3 developing umbels per plant. Flowers double in form,rounded and cup-shaped. Flowers last about 4 to 6 days on the plant.Umbels persistent, flowers not persistent. Flowers not fragrant.

Flowering season.—Year-round under greenhouse conditions. In the garden,flowering is continuous from spring until fall.

Umbels.—Height: About 6 to 8 cm. Diameter: About 8 to 12 cm. Number offlowers and flower buds per umbel: About 9 to 15. Flower diameter: About4 cm. Flower depth (height): About 1 cm.

Flower buds.—Length: About 1 cm. Diameter: About 6 mm. Shape: Elliptic.Color: 139B.

Petals.—Quantity: About 7 to 11 per flower arranged in about two whorls.Length, outer petals: About 2 cm. Width, outer petals: About 1 cm.Shape: Ovate. Apex: Rounded. Base: Attenuate. Margin: Entire. Texture,both surfaces: Smooth, velvety. Color: When opening, upper surface: 45B.When opening, lower surface: 46B. Fully opened, upper surface: 45B;towards base, 53B, occasional white spot towards base, close to 155D;color does not fade with subsequent development. Fully opened, lowersurface: 46C. Venation, both surfaces: 46C.

Petaloids.—Quantity: About 2 to 5 per flower. Length: About 3 to 10 mm;irregular in size. Width: About 1 to 6 mm; irregular in size. Shape:Variable, irregular. Apex: Mostly rounded. Base: Attenuate. Margin:Mostly entire. Texture, both surfaces: Smooth, velvety. Color: Whenopening, upper surface: 45A. When opening, lower surface: 46C. Fullyopened, upper surface: 45A; towards base, 53A; fading to 46C withsubsequent development. Fully opened, lower surface: 46C. Venation,upper surface: 45B. Venation, lower surface: 46C.

Sepals.—Quantity: Five, arranged in a single whorl. Length: About 9 mm.Width: About 4.5 mm. Shape: Elliptic. Apex: Narrowly acute. Margin:Entire. Texture, both surfaces: Pubescent, velvety. Color, upper andlower surfaces: 138A.

Peduncle (umbel stem).—Length: About 5 to 8 cm. Diameter: About 3 mm.Angle: Erect. Strength: Moderately strong. Texture: Slightly pubescent.Color: 139B.

Pedicel (individual flower stem).—Length: About 1.5 cm. Diameter: About1.5 mm. Angle: Erect. Strength: Strong. Texture: Slightly pubescent.Color: 139B.

Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Anther quantity: Five per flower.Anther length: About 2 mm. Anther shape: Ovate. Anther color: 31B.Pollen amount: Moderate. Pollen color: 31B. Gynoecium: Pistil quantity:One per flower. Pistil length: About 9 mm. Stigma shape: Five-parted,star-shaped. Stigma color: 63A. Style length: About 4 mm. Style color:149D. Ovary color: 149C.

Seed.—Length: About 3 to 6 mm. Diameter: About 1.5 to 2 mm. Shape:Ovoid. Color: Brownish.

Disease tolerance: Plants of the new Ivy Geranium have been shown to betolerant to pathogens common to Pelargonium, such as Botrytis.

Weather tolerance: Plants of the new Ivy Geranium have been observed totolerate rain and temperatures from 8 to 35° C.

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of Ivy Geranium plantnamed ‘Kleroder’, as herein illustrated and described.